Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 Product Review

Short Take

Still a “Go-To-Shoe” for moderate pronators, Adrenaline GTS 12 carries over with minimal changes to its stable, flexible and smooth setup.

Big Updates

More Mesh: Added mesh in the upper improves breathability.

Redesigned Crash Pad: Brooks updated the Adrenaline with a rearfoot crash pad that works for more types of running gaits.

Road Test

Not much has changed with the latest update to the Adrenaline series, both on paper and on the feet of our testers. The shoe continues to offer a crowd-pleasing fit, a healthy dose of cushioning, and the pronation support many runners need.

While the Adrenaline doesn't fit into a lightweight category, it feels light underfoot, especially for a shoe that offers a good deal of pronation support. We continue to like the Brooks DNA technology, which automatically firms up the shoe at speed to create a more responsive ride.

For our brief test, we weren't able to check out the long-term durability of the latest Adrenaline. We expect it to hold up well for many hundreds of miles. As Brooks' most popular model, the company has invested in high-quality materials from heel-to-toe, and it shows.

The elastic midfoot lace eyelets – a feature present on the prior version of this shoe – weren't a favorite of the testers. One noted that the elastic in the midfoot felt awkward when the shoe was laced up, but becomes unnoticeable while running. Another tester commented that the eyelets sat awkwardly on his foot. But these are nitpicks in a complete package we find very impressive.

Runners Say

Fits like an Adrenaline – comfortably snug over the top of my foot. I find this shoe to lay down better than any previous Adrenaline model, with a ride that's just a tad softer than the 11. I say it's a homerun.